FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - When should AI run on the edge instead of in the cloud?
Intro
AI can run in the cloud, on the edge device or in a hybrid architecture. The right choice depends on latency, privacy, bandwidth, reliability, cost, power consumption and update strategy.
Edge AI is not always better than cloud AI. The best architecture depends on the use case.
Use edge AI when
Edge AI is useful when:
- low latency is required
- the device must work offline
- data privacy is important
- bandwidth is limited
- cloud costs must be reduced
- local decision-making is needed
- only relevant events should be transmitted
- real-time response is required
Use cloud AI when
Cloud AI is useful when:
- high compute power is required
- large datasets must be processed
- latency is less critical
- models change frequently
- centralised analysis is needed
- local hardware cost must stay low
Use a hybrid architecture when
A hybrid approach is useful when:
- the edge device performs first-level detection
- only relevant data is sent to the cloud
- cloud systems perform deeper analysis
- updates are managed centrally
- local response and central learning are both needed
Technical decision factors
Evaluate:
- latency requirement
- data volume
- connectivity quality
- privacy requirements
- local processing power
- battery lifetime
- thermal design
- model update frequency
- cloud cost
- product lifetime
Common mistakes
- using cloud AI for time-critical decisions
- using edge AI without enough memory
- ignoring model update requirements
- sending too much raw data to the cloud
- underestimating power consumption
- ignoring cybersecurity
- not planning fallback behaviour when offline
Decision checklist
Before choosing edge, cloud or hybrid AI, define:
- what decision must be made
- how fast the decision must happen
- where the data is generated
- how much data is created
- whether data may leave the device
- how often the model changes
- available power budget
- required reliability when offline
Need help defining the right edge AI architecture or hardware platform? Contact TOP-electronics technical support.
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